In President Obama's second inaugural address, he not only outlined an ambitious agenda for his second term but also seemed intent on shutting down debate about the social-welfare state and its impact on American life.

"The commitments we make to each otherthrough Medicare, and Medicaid, and Social Securitythese things do not sap our initiative; they strengthen us," Mr. Obama said. "They do not make us a nation of takers; they free us to take the risks that make this country great." In other words, the president is tired of listening to critics of America's entitlement programs, and as far as he is concerned, the discussion is now over.

It is not overand won't be anytime soon, because the country's social-welfare spending is generating severe and mounting hazards for the nation. These hazards are not only fiscal but moral.

A growing body of empirical evidence points to increasing dependency on state largess. The evidence documents as well a number of perverse and disturbing changes that this entitlement state is imposing on society.

Consider:

 Over the 50-plus years since 1960, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, entitlement transfersgovernment payments of cash, goods and services to citizenshave been growing twice as fast as overall personal income. Government transfers now account for nearly 18% of all personal income in Americaup from 6% in 1960.

 According to the BEA, America's myriad social-welfare programs (the federal bureaucracy apparently cannot determine exactly how many of these there are) currently dispense entitlement benefits of more than $2.3 trillion annually. Since those entitlements must be paid foreither through taxes or borrowingthe burden of entitlement spending now amounts to over $7,400 per American man, woman and child.

According to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly half (49%) of Americans today live in homes receiving one or more government transfer benefits. That percentage is up almost 20 points from the early 1980s. And contrary to what the Obama White House team suggested during the election campaign, this leap is not due to the aging of the population.

In fact, only about one-tenth of the increase is due to upticks in old-age pensions and health-care programs for seniors (So, who’s getting the other nine tenth?)

We most definitely are a nation of takers. It is what is killing us. And it isn’t just poor people. It extends way into the middle class and that’s why we can’t cut these things off or reform the. And worse yet, most people believe that “the rich” somehow can pay for all of this.

3
posted on 01/25/2013 6:10:55 AM PST
by Opinionated Blowhard
("When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.")

Your post indicates the ‘fundamental transformation’ brought by the Obama Administration.
Minimized are those who understand growth is brought by creating value. The majority of society now are looters (Warren Buffet) and moochers (Peggy). The producers are now the foreign legion asked to support and defend a city on the hill of which they are no longer a citizen.
History is full of examples.

7
posted on 01/25/2013 6:53:47 AM PST
by griswold3
(Big Government does not tolerate rivals.)

Mrs. ArGee had some people over the other night from a class she took with NAMI - the National Alliance for Mental Illness. All these people had relatives who were mentally ill. All these people had money.

All these people were talking about letting the government take care of their mentally ill relatives. One woman had even sold the apartment where her schizophrenic daughter lived before entering into a supervised living facility. My wife asked this woman where the daughter was supposed to live once she was released. The woman said the government would find her a place.

To be fair, the woman's daughter has a history of violence. She can't live with the woman. But neither my wife nor I could fathom not doing what you could for a family member before "dumping them on the government" (our phrase, not theirs).

Again, all these women had means. But they assume it's the government's job to take care of their problems.

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